Box seat partition



BQX SEAT PARTITION Filed April 16, 1962 35 w 'nulli 37 1 3 INVENTORS EJG Ez-ing B. Morgan 'Vler E2\raz'dzzzarlt WITNESS BY ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent s 3,079,198 A BOX SEAT PARTITION Erving B. Morgan and Walter E; Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Micln, a corporation or New Jersey Filed Apr. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 187,651 4 Claims. (CI. 297-217) The present invention relates to a box seat partition by means of which rows of connected seating such as are commonly installed in ball parks, stadiums and the like maybe partitioned off to make groups of s-called box seats which are usually reserved for specic groups of individuals. Y l

The term boxseats as applied to ball parks, racetracks and other outdor sports arenas', derivesfrom the fact that the front areas ofgra'rdst'ands are frequently divided into a pluralityv offenced-o'tf, boxlike structures in which are usually placed a number of chairs, often folding chairs. Thisarrangement is wasteful of space as compared to the rows of connected seating usually installed throughout the main part of the grandstand.

The primary objects of the invention are, therefore, to provide a device whereby rowsparticularly the front rows-of connected seating in a grandstand can be partitioned olf to form box seat sections; to provide such a partitioning device to which box-identifying indicia is applied so that certain boxes can be reserved for, and identilied by, certain groups of individuals; and in general to provide such a device which is simple and rugged in construction and easy to install.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of part of a row of connected seating and showing the new partitioning device applied thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear of two connected chair backs and illustrating the means for securing the device to the seating at the rear;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the new device as applied to connected seating here shown fragmentarily;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the same;

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view of the same;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of FIGURES 3 and 4;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 8 8 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line 9--9 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the lower rear part of the device per se, as it would be seen from line 10-10 of FIGURE 3 if the seating were removed.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, and referring first particularly to FIGURE l, the chairs there shown are of the type conventionally installed in stadiums and grandstands. Such chairs are arranged in rows of connected seating wherein the adjacent sides of adjoining chairs are mounted on common supports known as middle standards, while the outer sides of chairs at the ends of the rows are mounted on end standards (not shown) which are usually decorative in character.

The cast iron middle standards shown in the drawing are of the riser-mounted type, being secured against the ice face of a cement riserv 16 by means' of anchor bolts 17 embedded in the cement which pass outwardly'v through apertures in the lower ends of the standards 15 and which have nuts 18 threaded on their outer ends. Each standard 15 comprises an opstanding front postg19, an upstandng rear or back-supporting post 20, a medial seatsupporting web 21, and an armrest 22 extending from the upper end of the front post 19 to the rear post 20 at a point somewhat below the latters upper end. The chair seats, generally designated 23, comprise slats secured to seatarms 24 which are pivotally mounted on the seat-supporting webs 21 of the standards. The chair backs crnprise curved slats 25 secured to inclined lugs 26 cast in# tegrally with the rear posts 20, by means of bolts 27 passing through aligned apertures in the slats 25 and lug's` 26 and provided with nuts 28 threaded on their rearward erids.A The new box seat partition generally comprises' a parti` tionin'g member 29, a clamping member 30 and fastening means as hereinafter described. The cast iron partitioning member 29 is of inverted generally U-shaped form having a front leg 31 and a rear leg 32 both of which ex. tend well above the tops of the chair backs and which are.

connected at their upper ends by a substantially horizontal Vbight portion 33. The lower end of the rear leg 32 is formed, as best seen in FIGURE 2, Vto provide an' enlar-ged portion 34 which is recessed so as to form surfaces 35 which are inclined in conformity with the uppermost lugs 26 on the rear post 20 of the standard 15. Apertures 36 through the enlarged portion 34 of the rear leg 32 accommodate the same bolts 27 that secure the uppermost back slats 25 to the standards rear post 20, and thus the same bolts 27 and nuts 28 are utilized to secure both the uppermost back slats 25 and the rear leg 32 of the partitioning member 29 to the rear post 20 of the middle standard 15. Projections 34a abut against opposite sides of the standards rear post 20l for greater stability.

The lower end of the front leg 31 of the partitioning member 29 is also enlarged and has a curved groove 37 therein (see FIGURES 3 and 6) adapted to receive the curved outer flange 38 on the standard 15 at the junction of the front post 19 and the armrest 22. The clamping member 30 also has a curved groove 39 therein (see FIG- URE 6) adapted to receive the ange 38 at the opposite side thereof. The clamping member 30 and the lower end of the front leg 31 of the partitioning member 29, are secured in clamping engagement on the standard 15, as shown, by means of a bolt 40 passing through aligned apertures in these two members and threaded into a nut 41 (see FIGURE 4).

In the corner of the partitioning member formed between its front leg 31 and its upper bight portion 33 there is a land 42 on which is applied, as by stencilling, indicia such as the numeral 2 shown for identifying the box of seats adjacent thereto. A typical installation would consist of rows having twelve seats each with one of the new box seat partitions installed at the center of each row thus making each row into two boxes with all of the boxes identified by different numerals. In such an installation, the land 42 shown in the drawing might have the numeral l on its other side.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a novel box seat partition which is sturdy in construction and which may easily be applied to rows of connected seating, and while but one specic embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details thereof may be altered or omitted Without departing from the spirit of the invention as deiined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A box seat partition for use on connected seating wherein adjacent sides of adioining chairs in a row are mounted on opposite sides of common supporting standards each having a rear back-supporting post and an armrest extending forwardly from said rear post below the latters upper end, said box seat partition comprising:

an inverted generally U-shaped partitioning member v having Y Y v a front leg having its lower end clamped to the forward end of said armrest,v

a rear leg having its lower end secured to said rear post near the latters upper end, said front and Yrear legs of the partitioning member extending upwardly from the standard well above the tops of the chair backs and being connected by a substantially horizontal bight portion.

n 2. A box seat partition according to claim 1 characterized by havingY Y a land on said partition, and

box identifying indicia applied to said land.

' 3. A box seat partition according to claim 1 tharacter-i ards each having a front post, a rear back-supporting post and an arm rest extending from the top of the front an inverted generally U-shapedparttioning'member' having a front leg having its lower end clamped to one of said standards at the junction of said front post with said arm rest,

a rear leg having its lower end secured to said rear post near the latters upper end, said front and rear legs of the partitioning member extending upwardly from the standard well above the tops of the chair backs andl being connected by a substantially horizontal bightportion, and a land in the corner formed between the front leg and the bight portion of said partitioning member, and

different box identifying indicia on the opposite sides of said land.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 183,838 Hoven et al. Nov, 4, 1958 1,382,404 Atkinson June 2l, 1921 1,559,256 Klein Oct. 27, 1925 1,657 ,285 Siskin J an. 24, 1928 1,733,756 Rittenhouse Oct. 29, 1929 1,875,115 Oberdorfer v Aug. 30, 1932 2,572,732 Keklen et al Oct. 23, 1951 3,032,148 Bank -e May 1, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 445,017 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1936 825,376 Great Britain .--.v.- r--- Dec. 16, 1959 

1. A BOX SEAT PARTITION FOR USE ON CONNECTED SEATING WHEREIN ADJACENT SIDES OF ADJOINING CHAIRS IN A ROW ARE MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF COMMON SUPPORTING STANDARDS EACH HAVING A REAR BACK-SUPPORTING POST AND AN ARMREST EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID REAR POST BELOW THE LATTER''S UPPER END, SAID BOX SEAT PARTITION COMPRISING: AN INVERTED GENERALLY U-SHAPED PARTITIONING MEMBER HAVING A FRONT LEG HAVING ITS LOWER END CLAMPED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID ARMREST, A REAR LEG HAVING ITS LOWER END SECURED TO SAID REAR POST NEAR THE LATTER''S UPPER END, SAID FRONT AND REAR LEGS OF THE PARTITIONING MEMBER EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE STANDARD WELL ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE CHAIR BACKS AND BEING CONNECTED BY A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BIGHT PORTION. 